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| The Business of Being Born | 
| Director: Abby Epstein
Actors: Ricki Lake, Dr. Michel Odent, Abby Epstein, Cara Muhlhahn, Dr. Marsden Wagner
Studio: New Line Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $27.98
Buy New: $20.41
You Save: $7.57 (27%)
Buy New/Used from $20.41
Avg. Customer Rating:  (48 reviews)
Sales Rank: 3201
Format: Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: Unrated
Media: DVD
Running Time: 84 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 794043120787
UPC: 794043120787
EAN: 0794043120787
ASIN: B0013LL2XY
Release Date: May 6, 2008
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Genre: Documentary
Rating: UN
Release Date: 6-MAY-2008
Media Type: DVD
Amazon.com
Is it conceivable that in the United States, profit is increasingly driving the business of birthing--sometimes at the expense of the best possible outcome for mothers and babies? Should birth be viewed and treated as a natural process or a potential medical emergency? This documentary, produced by Ricki Lake and directed by Abby Epstein, opines that money and fear are changing the way Americans give birth, and not necessarily for the better. Beginning with shocking statistics that the United States has the second-worst newborn death rate in the developed world and one of the highest maternal mortality rates in industrialized countries, the film presents interviews with medical professionals including Dr. Jacques Moritz, OB/GYN from St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital; Dr. Michel Odent, OB/GYN researcher; and Masden Wagner, MD, former Director for Women's and Children's Health at the World Health Organization. Each expert paints a dismal picture of American birthing and emphasizes the frequent overuse of medical procedures in what are otherwise potentially normal deliveries. Stressing the prevalent use of midwives in birthing in other developed nations (70% of births are attended by midwives in Europe and Japan, versus 8% in the U.S.), the documentary then follows Cara Muhlhahn, a certified nurse midwife in New York City, as she attends a variety of home births. The footage is candid and sometimes very graphic, showing various home-delivery methods, including water birth. Interviews with Cara and her clients emphasize their shared philosophy on birthing as a normal life process that, when attended by a caring and well-trained midwife, can be both empowering and exhilarating. Though a midwife is often characterized as a supportive, but medically untrained birth attendee, the film dispels that stereotype, stressing a good midwife's solid training and knowledge of when it's appropriate to seek outside medical intervention. Key in every birth is a commitment to doing what's best for mother and baby, regardless of pre-planned agendas. The filmmaker's lament is that hospitals and doctors often too quickly advocate medical intervention in the interest of saving time and avoiding potential litigation. While unquestionably advocating midwifery over hospital birthing, this documentary presents solid expert opinions, concrete facts and statistics, and anecdotal experiences of both mothers and midwives that are crucial in making an informed decision about the use of midwifery in birthing as well as enlightening as to the current state of birthing in the United States. --Tami Horiuchi
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| Customer Reviews: Read 43 more reviews...
 Must See!!! October 5, 2008
Every human needs to see this movie to learn the truth about childbirth in America.
 Perspective from an OBGYN's son who does like natural child birth. September 28, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
My wife and I have briefly talked about midwives vrs OBGYN's. My wife was delivered by a midwife at home. We are open to the idea of delivering at home and learning about the different options as well as the risks.
We are awaiting our 2nd child.
What I saw that I liked:
I enjoyed the openmindedness of the movie presenting a positive viewpoint of home births. Pointing out that women having a different perspective than a lot of OBGYN's.
Being raised by an OBGYN I have had difficulties understanding the "hospital is best" perspective. I learned that an OBGYN was taught specific procedures, and tests that should be given to produce specific results. Med students are great at knowing different parts of the body, diagnosing illnesses, and working with urgent situations. They aren't trained adequately in the different ways the bodies healing systems work together. They don't view child birth as a natural process, but rather as a condition that needs to be treated. Due to this it can be hard for OBGYN's to believe in and understand alternative child birthing methods.
I agree that hospitals birthing is limiting. Because of this some OB's can not be as personal as they could be. They are given standards that they follow irregardless of what the women may want.
You can't blame OBGYN's. You can't blame hospitals. The whole system is full of quirks. But we can't live without them.
Things I didn't like,
The movie talked about OBGYN's only being trained in doing surgeries all day long. It stated that they don't have the proper training to do OB Care with the patients. They don't always provide the emotional care that the mother needs during the birthing process. Midwifes can fulfill this need more easily. The movie did not list any benefits about hospital births and is therefore very biased.
I didn't appreciate seeing a lady compeletly nude in the bathtub. I understand that it is part of the birthing process but they didn't need to show it in that way in the movie.
It stated that OBGYN's don't offer as personalized care as mid wive's can. I think that depends on the individual mid wife and OB. In the movie the lady talked about having a midwife and and OB and her never thinking about going back to the OB. What I got out of this is that she had an impersonal OB and a personal midwife.
Must see for any pregnant woman September 22, 2008
If you are pregnant this is a must see. It gives a lot of great perspective on what really goes on in the hospitals in the US.
 From a father's perspective September 19, 2008
Overall I think the information provide in the movie was good, albeit the way it was presented was not always "polished" (e.g., some nudity and profanity), but it was certainly honest. My wife wanted me to watch this with her as we are having our second child in April 2009. When our daughter was born in June 2006, we had the negative experience many women expressed in the film about the hospital experience. We planned for a natural birth and ended up having multiple interventions including a c-section which was not what we wanted at all, and may not have been necessary at all with a home birth situation. I would recommend this film to those parents to be out there, especially first time ones, to seriously consider home birth and to trust your natural, God given instincts.
Amazing September 17, 2008
I loved this documentary. My husband and I do not have children at this time but do plan on having them in the near future. This has changed my thinking about hospitals and I've already looked into midwives around me.
Ricky Lake did a wonderful job on this documentary and I totally commend her for pushing the limits and giving information that not a lot of people dare to touch on! It seems in this world right now everyone is being pushed by the medical community and everyone deserves the right to know that there are alternatives out there.
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